Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky has died at the age of 88, International chess federation (FIDE) general director Emil Sutovsky told Reuters on Thursday.

Boris Spassky, legendary Russian chess player and the 10th World Chess Champion who rose to international fame in the 1972 “Match of the Century” against American Bobby Fischer, died Thursday in Moscow at age 88.

Boris Spassky, the Soviet chess grandmaster best known for his historic 1972 match against American Bobby Fischer, has passed away at 88 in Moscow. His legendary encounter with Fischer was a defining moment of Cold War-era chess,